Tangerang, Banten- State-Owned Enterprises (SOEs) Minister Erick Thohir has asked state firms to face the potential recession that threatens the world in 2023 by encouraging investments.

“Investments that are encouraged by SOEs are, of course, under the cooperation with foreign and domestic parties, where there is a potential of Rp113 trillion for us to encourage,” he said at a press conferenfe on the 2022 joint Christmas celebration with SOEs Ministry and SOEs here on Saturday.

He explained that the majority of SOEs under the Deputy Minister I of SOEs are encouraging investments by cooperating with food companies, such as a dairy company from Qatar, Baladna Farm.

Meanwhile, the majority of SOEs under the Deputy Minister II of SOEs are encouraging investments by cooperating with companies in the logistics sector.

According to Thohir, investment in Indonesia is now starting to be balanced in terms of the portions between foreign and non-foreign. Likewise, the balance can also be seen in terms of the portion in Java and the portion in non-Java islands.

Apart from encouraging investments, SOEs are also asked to open jobs in facing the threat of recession this year. However, the jobs that are expected to be opened are those that are sustainable.

“Thus, they are not only (jobs that are opened) for projects. For example, PT Freeport is building a smelter in East Java which will complete in 2024,” he said.

To this end, the minister emphasized that he will push for the opening of jobs that are sustainable and able to empower the economy, especially through micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

This is because the provision of people’s business credit (KUR) to MSMEs has succeeded in opening significant jobs, for example, 13.7 million customers of state-run microlender PT Permodalan Nasional Madani’s (PNM’s) PNM Mekaar service and the opening of 6,600 small-scale gas stations or Pertamina Shops (Perta Shops) in villages.

Source: Antara News